Shoe heel and toeplate



Oct. 20,, 1942. L, w, BROOKS 2,299,456

SHOE HEEL AND TOE PLATE Filed Nqv. 12, 1940 INVENTOR ATTO RN EYS Patented Oct. 20, 1942 f" UNITED STATE 2,299,456 I SHOE HEEL AND TOEPLATE Linzy W. Brooks, Rainier; Oreg., assignor to East Side Tool and Die Works,

Portland, Oreg.

Application November 12, 1940, Serial No. 365,338

3 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful provements in shoe plates.

An important object of my invention is to provide a shoe plate that is bent longitudinally thereof to provide fiat angularly related portions which may be readily applied to either the toe or heel of either an old or new shoe.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a shoe plate of the above-mentioned character which will readily accommodate itself to the beveled profile of a worn sole or to the flat surface of a new sole with a minimum of shaping or hammering.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a shoe plate of the above-mentioned character wherein the same size nails may be used in attaching the plate to either the heel or toe of the shoe.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

, In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a shoe sole and illustrating a plate constructed in accordance with the present invention attached to the toe and heel portion thereof,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an edge elevation of my shoe plate,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the plate, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of my invention.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral l0 designates the sole of a shoe having a heel ll mounted at one end thereof in the conventional manner. The plate 12 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is adapted to fit either the toe or the heel of the shoe. The plate is generally crescent-shape in plan and, in the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 through 4, it is bent longitudinally to provide angularly related sections l3 and M. The ridge 15 of the plate is provided with a pair of spaced openings l6 for receiving nails I8, or the like, and the rear section I4 is similarly provided at substantially its middle with an opening I! for a similar purpose. The nails l8 are imbedded in the sole or in the superposed leather layers of the heel in the conventional manner outer surface of either or both of the plate sections may be'ribbed or plain, as desired.

It is well known that the average person, during normal walking action, wears away the heel and toe portions of the soles of his shoes faster than any other portion thereof. This phenomenon causes the tips of the heel and toe to assume a beveled or angular relation to the essentially flat main surface of the sole.

All previous plates within my knowledge have beenformed in a single plane which means that the person applying the plate toa worn shoe surface must bend the plate toconform to the worn profile. This is not only a very difficult operation requiring substantial time and labor but it frequently results in the plate being imperfectly attached to the shoe. If the plate is not formed to snugly fit the portion of thesole to which it is attached, the plate either rocks back and forth during'walking action or it easily becomes loose and produces a clicking noise which is extremely disturbing. t

When applying a plate of the above nature to a worn shoe surface, it is the current practice to'imbed an essentially long nail in the rearmost opening I! to hold this portion of the plate flat against the beveled worn surface while the foremost portion of the plate is bent to conform to the essentially flat surface. This operation is accomplished with considerable difficulty inasmuch as the plates are normally made of a heavy steel which does not readily lend itself to a bending operation. Also, when the forward end of the plate is being bent and when the foremost nails I8 are being imbedded in the sole the rearward nail frequently becomes loosened and in time becomes completely dislodged from the shoe. To bend the plate in the above manner frequently necessitates the use of a weight or clamp which is placed on the back of the plate in order that the forward portion of the plate may be shaped to properly fit the sole. This operation requires considerable time and if not properly performed will result in the plate becoming loose in a very short time.

Another difiiculty frequently encountered in applying plates of the above character to worn shoes resides in the fact that, while the long nail holding the rearmost portion of the plate may be used in the heel, it may not be used if the plate is being applied to the toe. When the long nail is not used the bending operation is made much more difficult and, inasmuch as a long nail and two short nails are usually furfor holding the plate fixedly secured thereto. The nished with each plate, the shoe rebuilder finds of the extra long nails. waste.

with paper heel seats, it is not even advisable to use the long nail on the heel for the reason that the nail tends to break and crack the paper seat. If this condition arises the application of the plate to the heel is rendered evenlmore 'difiicult. The advantage of the plate illustrated in'the 3 drawing is that it is preformed so that the front and rear portions I3 and M are disposed in angular relation with each other and at an.

angle slightly greater than the worn surface to which it is to be applied. The plate is placed on the heel or toe and with the .ridge l5v overly-' ing the ridge of the worn shoe surface. ,The

. foremost nails l8 are then imbedded in the sole and when they are entirely driven into the sole,

they will flex the frontand rear sections l3 and of the plate slightlyso thatit will snugly conform to the worn surface. The two nails l8 provided at the ridge of the plate are not required to be as long as the single long nail used in the application of the old style flat plate to the shoe. Thus, the same size. nail may be used for both the. toe, and heel, of the shoe.. When the rear nail |8,i s driven into thesole'fthe hammering of this single nail will not 'be. sufficient to loosen bothforward nails. l8 and,'inasmuch.

as no bending of the plate is required, the plate is fixedly attached. to the sole and the danger of its becoming loose has been substantially elimi; nated.

It is obvious that if a plate constructed in a c'-.

cordance with'the present invention is to be. applied to the planesurface of anew shoe. it W be considerably easier to flatten the angularly related sections than it wouldbe, to bend a flat plate to conform to a worn place.

with the curved rearward edge thereof injregister with the curved edge of the sole or heel. The

Thus, thej plate is applied to the surface of the sole. and.

tially prominent ridge I5.

plate I9, illustrated in Figure 5, is of the same size andshape as the. plate hereinabove-described, however, it is longitudinally arcuately curved instead of being provided with an essen- The plate [9 is applied to the shoe in exactly the same manner as the plate I2 and the manner in which it adjusts itself to either a worn or plane surface is so similar to' that described for the first form of the invention. that no further explanation is thought to be necessary.

Itis to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing, from the spirit of my invention, or scope of the appended claims.

-I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim;

l. A shoe attachment comprising a rigid plate bent transversely to form straight flat sections arranged at an obtuse angular relation with one another, the said plate having nail receiving apertures in the angular juncture of the said sections.

2. In a shoe attachment, a rigid plate of crescent-shaped contour, the said plate being sections.

LINZY W. BROOKS. 

